12:01 PM EST: Thank you for joining us this evening. It was my pleasure to host VAVEL USA's live coverage of college football. What a game!
11:59: PM EST: Florida State will travel to Kentucky to face the Louisville Cardinal next week, and Notre Dame will go on the road to face Navy.
11:57 PM EST: Everett Golson and Notre Dame looked tremendous at times, but couldn't quite do enough. They should take no shame in this loss. This was among the most entertaining games of this college football season.
11:54 PM EST: Winston and the FSU offense took over in the second half, and really asserted themselves. Notre Dame's defense was clearly worn down, and Winston took advantage.
11:52 PM EST: That game was simply incredible. Notre Dame fought valiantly, but in the end, it was the determination of that Seminole defense that pulled out a much-needed win.
Oh my, what a football game.
FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame: 27, FSU: 34
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson's pass in picked off! FSU SURVIVES!
Notre Dame will face 4th and goal from the 18! This is their last chance!
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson's pass is complete but the receiver is flagged for interference! WOW!
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson finds his target who is out of bounds at the three yard line!
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson's pass on second and goal is incomplete.
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson rushes for about 13 yards! First and goal Notre Dame!
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson throws incomplete to his receiver in the endzone.
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson finds Fuller for a first down!
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson's first down pass is incomplete.
4th Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson conects with his receiver for a gain of 20 yards!! Unbelievable!
4th Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: FSU sacks Golson on third and long!
4th Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: Golson's throw on first down is incomplete.
4th Quarter, 3 Minutes Left: Cook runs for a short gain. FSU will punt from their end zone.
4th Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Once again the Notre Dame front crushes Cook for a loss. FSU is backed up to their own two yard line.
4th Quarter, 5 Minutes Left: Cook is leveled in the back field for a loss. Second down coming for FSU.
4th Quarter, 5 Minutes Left: Golson throws it away on third and long.
4th Quarter, 5 Minutes Left: Golson's pass is incomplete. Third down upcoming.
4th Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: Golson finds Robinson for a big gain! First down Notre Dame!
4th Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN FSU! Williams runs it in from a yard out to put the Noles on top!
4th Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Greene makes the catch inside the five! First and goal FSU!
4th Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: Rudolph with yet another reception! FSU is in business!
4th Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Winston's pass to Wilson is complete fo a first down.
4th Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Winston hits Rudolph again for a first down for FSU.
4th Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Notre Dame's 46 yard field goal is GOOD!
4th Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Golson is sakced by FSU on third down!
4th Quarter, 13 Minutes Left : Folston runs for a first down on third and two.
4th Quarter, 13 Minutes Left: Golson finds his man for a first down for Notre Dame!
FSU has come out throwing in the second half, and have done so very effectively, but they've begun to shoot themselves in the foot with sloppy penalties, especially near the end of the quarter.
We have ourselves a tie game through three quarters! Wow! Don't go anywhere!
End of the third quarter: Notre Dame: 24, FSU: 24
3rd Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson finds Robinson for about four yards.
3rd Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Cook runs for a short gain on third and long. FSU is forced to punt.
3rd Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: Winston is sacked by Notre Dame!
3rd Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: Golson's third down pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage! Notre Dame will punt.
Everett Golson has been cleared to return for Notre Dame.
Winston has found a comfort zone, and he's been deadly accurate so far in this second half.
3rd Quarter, 3 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN FSU! Williams runs two yards for another Seminole score!
3rd Quarter, 3 Minutes Left: Winston's pass was incomplete but the Notre Dame defender is called for holding. Automatic first down for FSU.
3rd Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Winston rushes for about eight yards down to the five yard line!
3rd Quarter, 5 Minutes Left: Winston's pass is complete to Rudolph who takes it inside the Notre Dame 25!
3rd Quarter, 6 Minutes Left: Winston hits Williams for a big gain and another Seminole first down.
Everett Golson has made his way to the locker room with an apparent injury.
Each team has opened the second half with a very impressive touchdown drive. Strap in, folks. This is gonna be fun.
3rd Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN NOTRE DAME! Fuller runs eleven yards for an Irish touchdown!
3rd Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Golson finds his receiver who is close to another first down.
3rd Quarter, 9 Minutes Left: FSU destroys the Notre Dame runner on a reverse.
3rd Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: Fuller runs for a gain of five on first down for Notre Dame.
3rd Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN FSU! Winston throws complete to Greene for a ten yard TD!
3rd Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Winston finds his receiver for yet another first down!
3rd Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Williams has another FSU first down.
3rd Quarter, 13 Minutes Left: Winston throws complete to Green across the middle down to the Notre Dame 35! First down FSU.
3rd Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Winston finds Rudolph for a first down for FSU!
The second half of Notre Dame vs FSU will get underway shortly.
The Fighting Irish have dominated in the trenches, and that is what has allowed them to have the success they have had. It will be imperative for them to sustain that.
Very competitive first half of football. Notre Dame's defensive plan has worked to perfection. Jameis Winston has been under pressure all night long. Golson has had some issues, but overall has done a decent job. This one should go right down to the wire.
Halftime: Notre Dame: 17, FSU: 10
2nd Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Notre Dame's 34 yard field goal is GOOD!
2nd Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson's third down pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage.
2nd Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Golson finds Fuller for another Irish first down!
2nd Quarter, 1 Minutes Left: Golson rushes for a gain of 12! First down Notre Dame!
2nd Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: Folston cuts back for a first down across mid-field.
2nd Quarter, 3 Minutes Left: Golson finds Robinson for a first down!
2nd Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Golson runs for a gain of eight on second down.
2nd Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Aguayo's 28 yard field goal is GOOD!
2nd Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Winston's third down pass is incomplete!
2nd Quarter, 6 Minutes Left: Winston finds his receiver for a gain of nine.
2nd Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: Karlos Williams picks up a first down.
2nd Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: O'Leary picks up a gain of eight.
2nd Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Winston hits Greene for a gain of eight.
2nd Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Notre Dame challenged the spot of the ball, but the call was confirmed via replay.
2nd Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Folston is stuffed on fourth down! Notre Dame turns the ball over on downs at around mid-field!
2nd Quarter, 9 Minutes Left: Golson is unable to pick up a first down on third and four!
2nd Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: Winston was under immense pressure, and threw it away on third and long.
2nd Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Winston's pass is complete for two yards.
2nd Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN NOTRE DAME! Golson throws a touchdown pass to Robinson!
2nd Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Golson finds Brown over the middle for a huge gain! First and goal for the Irish!
2nd Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Winston's first down pass is INTERCEPTED! Wow!
2nd Quarter, 13 Minutes Left: Golson's third down pass is INTERCEPTED! FSU will take over!
2nd Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Folston runs for 13 yards!
2nd Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Golson finds his receiver deep over the middle! First down Notre Dame.
2nd Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Folston picks up the first down on third and one.
Interesting first quarter! Notre Dame has done a nice job on defense, but that last FSU strike was quick. That may have shifted momentum a bit.
End of the first quarter: Notre Dame: 7, FSU: 7
1st Quarter, 1 Minute Left: TOUCHDOWN FSU! Winston throws an 11 yard TD pass to Rudolph!
1st Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Winston rushes for a gain of two on first and goal.
1st Quarter, 1 Minute Left: Winston hits Rashad Greene again for another first down!
1st Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: Winston finds Greene for a big gain!
Notre Dame's rushing attack was key on that drive. Very impressive.
1st Quarter, 2 Minutes Left: TOUCHDOWN NOTRE DAME! Golson throws a one yard touchdown pass to Robinson!
1st Quarter, 3 Minutes Left: Golson's pass into the endzone is incomplete but the FSU defender is called for pass interference. First down, Notre Dame.
1st Quarter, 4 Minutes Left: Golson gets the first down on third and one.
1st Quarter, 6 Minutes Left: McDaniel rushes for a first down on fouth and short.
1st Quarter, 6 Minutes Left: Folston is stopped short of the line to gain on third down.
1st Quarter, 7 Minutes Left: Folston runs for about eight more yards.
1st Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Folston rushes for another big gain for Notre Dame!
1st Quarter, 8 Minutes Left: Notre Dame's running back rushes for 11 yards, and a facemask penalty is called on FSU.
Notre Dame's defense is doing a nice job of getting consistent pressure on Winston. He looks a bit rattled.
1st Quarter, 9 Minutes Left: Winston's third down pass is off the hands of his receiver. FSU is forced to punt.
1st Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: Golson is unable to control the snap. Notre Dame recovers but has to turn the ball over on downs.
1st Quarter, 10 Minutes Left: Golson throws a complete pass on third down but he's a yard short of the marker.
1st Quarter, 11 Minutes Left: Golson's pass is complete to Robinson for a first down and big gain!
1st Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: FSU sacks Golson second down!
1st Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Golson's first down pass is nearly picked off.
1st Quarter, 12 Minutes Left: Winston threw an incomplete pass on third and long. FSU will punt.
1st Quarter, 13 Minutes Left: Greene found no room on his second down rush.
1st Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Golson's pass to Brown is complete but only for two yards. The Irish will punt.
1st Quarter, 14 Minutes Left: Golson threw incomplete on first down.
8:24 PM EST: Notre Dame won the toss and have elected to receive the football.
8:20 PM EST: Both teams have taken the field.
8:07 PM EST: We are almost set to get underway in Tallahassee!
7:33 PM EST: The opening kickoff for Notre Dame vs FSU is less than 30 minutes away!
5:44 PM EST: We are mere hours away from the kickoff of Notre Dame vs FSU! Be sure to check back here regularly for complete coverage of this huge game!
5:43 PM EST: In the last meeting between the two teams, the E.J. Manuel-led Seminoles rallied to beat Notre Dame 18-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl of 2011. Since then, both teams have appeared in a National Championship game, but only one took home that crystal football.
5:42 PM EST: Florida State will come in as a double-digit favorite on Saturday evening, but they will have to make some major adjustments in order to cover such a spread. It's clear that the Seminoles have yet to reach their full potential, and if that trend continues, Notre Dame will have a legitmate chance at an upset. Considering the talent that FSU possesses on both sides of the ball, it's just a matter of time until they breakout and show the nation how good they really are.
5:41 PM EST: As the anticipation builds towards this battle of behemoths, it’s apparent that this will be an entertaining, tightly-contested match-up that should go a long way in determining who might occupy one of the coveted four playoff spots. Whichever team makes the fewest mistakes and gets the most amount of consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback should walk out of Doak Campbell stadium victorious, and in the driver’s seat to be part of the first annual college football playoff.
5:40 PM EST: Protection of the football will obviously be key in this monumental match-up. Turnovers not only provide the opponent with excellent opportunities, but also can be huge momentum shifters. Golson has been rather turnover-prone at times in the last few games, but Notre Dame hopes that trend doesn’t continue on Saturday night. Winston, on the other hand, is typically careful with the football, so the Fighting Irish must force him into several poor throws, and take advantage with interceptions when they do.
5:39 PM EST: Golson and his running back Tarean Folston will do the majority of the running for Notre Dame. If they can get their run game establishes early, the Fighting Irish will be very tough to slow down. The potential downfall is Notre Dame’s shaky offensive line play. That will be something to keep an eye on as the game progresses. If FSU is constantly in Golson’s face, it’ll be a long night for the Irish.
5:38 PM EST: Now, on to the Notre Dame offense. Led by Everett Golson, the Irish boast a dangerous attack that’s improved dramatically from a year ago. They’ll be facing an extremely talented defense that’s shown a number of deficiencies, but is always improving. Golson is a dual-threat QB that can create havoc with his legs, if given the opportunity. It will be critical for FSU to keep him in check and in the pocket.
5:37 PM EST: Winston will relying heavily on his receiving core, most notably wide-out Rashad Greene and tight-end Nick O’Leary, against a relatively permeable Notre Dame secondary. If his offensive line gives him time in the pocket, Winston should be able to have success through the air. When the Seminoles run the ball, which might be sparingly, it’ll be Karlos Williams and Dalvin Cook getting the bulk of the carries.
5:36 PM EST: Expect Florida State to run a pass-heavy offensive scheme from the onset in the game on Saturday. The Seminoles are fully capable of being very successful in this type of situation, but there’s no doubt that Brian Kelly’s defense will attempt to make Winston uncomfortable in the pocket in the early stages of the game. Anticipate various blitzes from Notre Dame all night long.
5:35 PM EST: Winston and FSU’s offense will have their hands full in facing Notre Dame’s defense. Aside from last week, the Irish haven’t allowed more than 17 points in any game this season. Especially stout against the run, Notre Dame must play to their strength, and get pressure on Winston early and often. However, FSU’s potent offense will certainly find the holes that remain in Notre Dame’s defense, especially in the secondary.
5:34 PM EST: The biggest storyline for this huge contest is clearly the Jameis Winston situation. The reigning Heisman trophy winner is making headlines again, but for all the wrong reasons. Winston is currently under investigation for accusations that the young man received payment for a large number of autographs. Winston will play on Saturday night, but this will undoubtedly be a distraction. Jameis has an unreal skill-set, and has all the characteristics of a superstar on the field, but off the field is a different story. He’s seemingly unable to stay out of trouble, and it may cripple his team in the long run if evidence is found and suspensions are handed down.
5:33 PM EST: The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have dealt with similar hardship, most notably a week ago, when the Fighting Irish barely edged unranked North Carolina 50-43 at Notre Dame stadium. Despite owning a high-level of aptitude throughout their squad, Notre Dame has yet to play up to potential on a consistent basis. It’s imperative for the Irish to sure up some things before this match-up at Doak Campbell.
5:32 PM EST: Fresh off their dominant National Championship run a year ago, the Florida State Seminoles have looked less-than-impressive at times this season. Although widely-regarded as the most talented team in the country, FSU has showed weakness, and it’s nearly done them in on multiple occasions. However, they’ve overcome a tremendous amount of adversity and will enter Saturday evening’s contest with an unblemished 6-0 record.
5:31 PM EST: It doesn't get much bigger than this, folks. This was the match-up that’s been circled on the metaphorical calendar for months. It will feature two undefeated, yet under-performing teams that enter with a lot to prove. This contest will have major ramifications on the forthcoming college football playoff.
5:30 PM EST: Hello and welcome to VAVEL USA’s live coverage of Notre Dame - Florida State! I’m your host, Austin Burnett. Keep it right here for news and updates on this colossal top-5 affair throughout the evening!